Silicon Film - Is there any future in this?

[pradeep1]

I saw this link on another thread here: http://www.siliconfilm.com/default.htm

Seems like a good idea, but the sensor would have to be a costly full frame, otherwise, how would you account for the field of view problem, since you can't see that in your viewfinder?

What do you guys think? Any future in this?

[Belmondo]

According to their spec sheet, it has a 30 X 20mm sensor with a 4.2 megapixel resolution, so your concerns about the viewfinder are legitimate.

Price would be a major concern. If it cost anywhere near what a low-end DSLR runs, it would be a big wast of money. 4.2 mp just doesn't take my breath away any more.

[kawter2]

HAHAH nice marketing.. the acronym for theis system is EFS!!!!

hahahha

[pradeep1]

According to their spec sheet, it has a 30 X 20mm sensor with a 4.2 megapixel resolution, so your concerns about the viewfinder are legitimate.

Price would be a major concern. If it cost anywhere near what a low-end DSLR runs, it would be a big wast of money. 4.2 mp just doesn't take my breath away any more.

Not very impressive to me either, but imagine 10 years into the future when every dSLR, even the cheap 20 megapixel ones you can buy at Walmart with plastic lens mounts, will have a full frame sensor. Imagine then being able to revive all of your old film cameras with a good CLA and a popped in silicon film cassette.

I hope the company does not go bankrupt before then. :p

[CyberDyneSystems]

Ditto BlooDog,.

Before I owned my first DSL,. I was "waiting" for a "Digital 35mm Film Component"

There were two or three companies talking about such a thing.

This was probably one of them,. but I forgot it all as soon as the D30 hit the scene... ;) Then I waited (and drooled) patiently hoovering at DPreview as each new DSLR came out,.. (I even allmost bit with the D100) ...before finally getting the 10D as my first DSLR.

Digital Film was long since forgotten.

It did make sense to me,. untill I actiually had a DSLR in my hands,.

What about image review,. what about histograms,. what about all the menus and featuresa,. all of this would be lost.

[Monito]

An 8mp consumer-end DSLR will be on the market in a few years at an sticker price below $800.00.

I predict about three weeks.

[Monito]

I saw a new product blurb about something like this in American Photo about 8 years ago. This is taking a LONG time to get off the ground.

I agree. The site is amateurish. It looks like hype designed to impress investors.

Mind you, the technical problems are severe, given the thinness that the sensor would have to maintain to fit in the 35mm film plane.

[CoolToolGuy]

Perhaps the biggest value would come to folks that have a big investment in a 35mm system that does not have digital. Canon FD, Mamiya, Konica, etc. This would give them the ability to use their old equipment.

The LCD gives the review of the shot, but a mask of the viewfinder to the proper crop factor would be a plus. That could be difficult for all of the different cameras out there.

This is an interesting concept, but if they don't get it to market soon it will be too late.

Have Fun,

[KennyG]

This bunch have been touting this 'idea' for years and it has never got further than the marketing blurb.

[Bruce Watson]

If I recall, this company was nominated for "Vapourware of the Year" by a tech publication a few years back.

Interesting idea, but far, far too little and too late.

[pradeep1]

But you do know that this concept has already been ported over to the medium format world, where they used interchangeable backs. You just pop on a 22 megapixel back and you are good to go.

You never know what you are going to see in the future. Maybe someday in the near future the cost of making chips will become so cheap, you'll be able to pick up one of these puppies at a decent cost and maybe it'll have a wireless transmitter so that it can be controlled by an external device - PDA, Dick Tracy Wristwatch, etc. :p

Imagine being able to put this puppy in your old Leica rangefinder; your Dad's AE-1Program; or your first Pentax Spotmatic and enjoy those cameras again with reckless abandon.

Dreamin... :rolleyes: